Collaboration is working with others to achieve a desired outcome. In this case we began working as individuals and came together at the last moment with the intent of creating a unified result. Unfortunately, as we had not arrived at a common goal, the end product was not what was required, though, through this process I have gained tools for the future.

Continuing on from previous experiments with plaster I expanded my approach by introducing colour. I purchased a pack of children’s tempera paint powders and mixed them with the plaster creating a marbled effect as well as natural white.

I picked some sections of plants from my garden and dipped them in the white plaster, giving them two coats.

I added children’s tempera paint powder to the plaster to experiment with marbled colour. I found some dried leaves and dipped them into the plaster. Initially it took well but over time began to flake off. I added another colour to the remaining plaster and poured it into a bowl. Unfortunately I forgot to grease the bowl so the plaster will not release.

I began to experiment with heat and plastic using a dry iron. I used plastic sleeves, greaseproof paper and foil. My first attempt was with parsley and marjoram gathered from the garden.

My second attempt was using foil and plastic bread bags – the print from the bag was transferred to the foil.

bread bag after heating on foilfoil with print from bread bag

I then bought some imitation copper foil leaf and wanted to experiment with colour changes. I tried applying balsamic vinegar, white vinegar and rice wine vinegar but found the results disappointing. The balsamic simply made the piece translucent.

two vinegar tests and one flame

I began experimenting by passing the foil over a candle flame and found the result more interesting than the vinegars – the flame example is the left hand piece in the photograph above.

Following that I placed the pieces in plastic sleeves and ironed them.

experimental stitching

At that point it seemed that more was needed so I experimented with sewing on plastic (I had only sewn fabric in the past).

It seemed to work well with a small stitch so sewed a continuous line around the pieces. It still seemed to need more so I filled in the blanks with what look like contour lines (first assignment!). Now it seems to be acceptable. Would like to try more of this type of work

For this experiment I wanted to explore paper cutting – I knew about chinese paper cutting with scissors or knives, but had never tried it myself. I set about finding a design and going from there. I found the cutting process to be difficult, perhaps I should have a thinner paper. I was using an exacto knife but even so found it hard to obtain exact curves. Again a thinner paper may be the answer. Along the way I decided to alter the original design and introduce colour. Memories of Molas (reverse appliqué) came to mind and I feel that the end result is similar with its bold colours and simple lines.

For my third experiment I utilised a previously carved piece of lino and tried paper and aluminium foil as grounds for embossing. I found the paper was probably too heavy as the embossed marks did not register well. I tried a diluted wash of blue to see if it would enhance the markings. I found the aluminium foil from the kitchen drawer was easier to impress as it was thinner, and in most cases only required a firm rub with a soft cloth.

My second experiment was with paint application; using items found around the house and garden to apply paint to a surface. I decided to use the skin of a banana and cut it in strips to form “bristles” that would hold and apply the paint. I did the same with the aluminium foil. I then took an intact weed plant and used the roots as a brush to apply the paint. I followed that by exploring the use of pasta to roll paint onto the paper. The link for this video is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oF4vYiQoZVk

My first experiment was with plaster. I set out to mix the plaster and used two plastic bags in the bucket for strength. My original intention was to squeeze the plaster within the plastic bags and leave to set. I had mixed more than intended so the project did not end up as planned. Leaving the bucket on its side to create a sloped exterior was a decision made during the process to add another dimension. When it set and I began to remove the plastic bags I discovered the plaster had seeped through, creating an interesting surface, making some of the bags impossible to remove. I hosed the shape, and as it was still a little soft I was able to enhance and smooth the surface rivulets. As I had added the plaster in stages during the mixing the surface was crumbly in parts. The embedding of the plastic into the plaster was an unexpected bonus.